Elizabeth Allen

Liz is a Florida cracker - born and raised in the Sunshine State. Her career path has spanned from physical to fiscal to literary starting in nutrition, then riding the roller coaster we call a stock market as a financial advisor and ultimately penning her first book at age 49. Before meeting her husband and marrying in 1992 Liz lived in New York City and Los Angeles. In 1995 she had a child but fear and impatience with unpredictable earthquakes in California motivated her to move back to Florida in 1999 - just in time for that y2k scare...

Liz' debut novel "Who Got Liz Gardner" was published in April 2009 as the result of an international contest and is now enjoying tremendous popularity in book clubs around the world. Her short stories have been published in literary magazines as well as the anthology “Wisdom of Our Mothers”. "Discovering Arugula" - Book Two in the "Liz" series was published in 2011.

Liz lives with her husband, daughter and Catahoula Leopard dog. Her unrealized dream is to ride horseback across the fields of Provence for one week. In the meantime, she rides dressage once a week and goes to Epcot. She will not ride Mission Space.

All Books By This Author:

WHO GOT LIZ GARDNER, by Elizabeth Allen, is a coming-of-age novel about the (mis)adventures of a dysfunctional, self-centered but essentially good-hearted aspiring actress growing up during the hedonistic 80s and 90s. A first-person narrative, the story is mostly set in New York City and later Los Angeles, as Liz pursues her twin goals of finding A) a career in acting, and B) a decent man (The One). Both of these goals prove elusive, though not from any lack of trying on Liz's part.

The daughter of a five-time drama queen divorcee and a thoroughly despicable wealthy philandering shrink, Liz starts out with more psychological baggage than most people collect in a lifetime. It's no surprise that she soon seeks out male companionship to fill her emotional void, or that the assorted men she beds invariably prove to be disposable ciphers. But instead of caving in and becoming a basket case, Liz summons up her inner moxie and sets out on her quest to find a good life and someone with whom to share it.

Discovering Arugula is the next phase in the evolution of Liz Gardner, a woman born of high dysfunction who claws and screws her way to find herself and hopefully encounter her Prince Charming along the way - assuming he's okay with a "Sleeping Beauty" who spent minimal time actually sleeping. Enlightenment finally kicks in and Liz's forward path leads her directly to her soul mate. Unfortunately, she soon learns that real life doesn't mimic fairy tales or chick flicks. Even though she feels healthy and balanced, her destructive patterns have their teeth deeply embedded into her ankles like a persistent rabid Chihuahua she can't shake off. Fears of old habits, pining ex-lovers, the discovery of an ill-fated dark family secret and even murder threaten to sabotage the happily ever after she's worked so hard for.